Courage
by 4supernaturalgirl
Summary: Tamara is Bobby’s little sister. She's cursed with a power that she cannot control because it changes with her mood. But now the reforming brotherhood wants her, and the only person willing to protect her is someone she tried to kill. PyroOC
1. My life

**A/N: **This is a little something I just came up with out of no were...I'm gonna have to see were it takes me. Hopefully the first (and rather short) chapter is pretty good.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Tamara.

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I hate her. The woman who killed the Professor. I barely knew her but she killed the one person who understood me like my brother does. She killed the one person who could help me control my ability's.

And not only did she kill the Professor but she killed Scott┘I remembered he was the person that had calmed me down when the Professor was away and I was extremely angry and was blowing random things up. If he hadn't of calmed me down I would have either killed someone or pushed myself until I ran out of energy and died.

That daunting thought always weighted over my head, the fact that I could kill someone or myself just because I couldn't control my powers. It was what drove people away from me. Bobby was now the one person that I spent most of my time with. And even then it wasn't the same...I knew some people pitied me because the only friend I had was my brother.

But it was worse since basically everyone knew that me and John had been best friends until he went to the Brotherhood.

Now I hated John to. He'd tried to kill Bobby, and he hated me because I'd considered getting the cure...I don't even know why I'd found him and told him. He had basically shut me out of his life after that. I'd been crushed and nearly started blowing stuff up.

I hated my life because I hated everyone except Bobby. But I would probably hate him to if he wasn't my brother.

"Tamara" I turned on the bench I was sitting on to see Kitty standing a respectable distance from me.

"Hey Kitty" my voice sounded slightly surprised. Not many people liked to be around me let alone speak to me. But if they did it was usually just a mild recognition of the fact that I was still alive, or using my name as a greeting. It didn't hurt to know that Kitty really didn't want to be around me.

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at me before quickly walking away. She disappeared behind a cluster of trees.

I gave a sigh glancing down at the browning grass. It was only September but I was already tired of being at this school _I shouldn't be here_ I thought bitterly _this is a school for the _gifted_...and I'm not gifted but cursed..._

Rogue had gotten the cure about a year ago and it seemed to be wearing off. The proof was everywhere she'd made a boy collapse in the entrance way just a few days ago with a touch. Yet people where more afraid of me then a girl who could literally suck the life out of you.

"Mara" Bobby all but yelled running up to me.

"Yeah?" I asked smiling eagerly.

"I'm sorry Storm just called me..."

"And they need you as usual" I finished for him "go play hero" I ordered trying to hide the hostel note in my voice.

"I'm sorry Mara" he repeated. Somehow I couldn't really believe that he was truly sorry. I didn't hate him for it though Bobby liked being the hero and the fact that he couldn't save me made him rather sad...and when he was sad he usually tried to avoid people.

My fingers curled into a fist as I heard Bobby leave. I couldn't watch him because I was sure if I did I'd start to fad, another wonderful part of my curse. When ever I was sad I'd either freeze over like Bobby can sometimes or turn invisible.

With a sigh I stood up and started walking towards the light forest that surrounded the school. Hardly anyone liked to walk in the woods...I didn't know why it was extremely calming.

I circled around the mansion until I came to the lovely road that led to the freeway. I walked on that road until I came back to the land of the normal.

I had no idea where I was going but the one person I knew would understand was John. But I was not going to go to him. Even admitting the fact that I 'needed' him was a blow to my pride.

I would not talk to him. So I stood watching the cars fly by until one stopped. The window rolled down and the worried face of a nice looking woman appeared "do you need a ride sweetie?" She asked with a heavy southern accent.

I snapped out of my dazed state and smile at this woman who seemed friendly enough "yes" I replied then automatically walked up to the car and slipped into the empty passenger seat.

"Mommy who is she?" the adorable voice of a little boy asked. I glanced over my shoulder to see three kids. Two where boys that looked about the age of five and two. The third was a beautiful little girl who barely looked one.

"She's a girl. Who needs a ride Tommy" the woman replied smiling at me sweetly "Were to?" I took a deep breath and made a split decision I needed to talk to John even if I didn't want to I felt like anything anybody said could push me over the edge and I'd start blowing stuff up. And I knew...just knew that John would somehow understand...

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Okay┘this is a little something I thought up. Sooo┘does it sound interesting??? R&R please!


	2. On his steps

**A/N: **I actually really like this story...so why I didn't post this chapter earlier is kinda a mystery to me...

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing familiar to you!

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"Thanks for the ride miss" I said closing the door, the window rolled down, she had a worried expression on her face as she examined her surroundings.

"You sure this is it?" she asked forcing out a smile.

"Yeah..." I trailed off my eyes skimming over the rundown neighborhood "You should leave...thanks again" she simply nodded rolling the window up and driving away.

I watched her go for a few seconds before turning and starting to walk down the cracked sidewalk. She'd been worried about me...that was a change.

No one worried about me. Everybody basically breathed a sigh of relief when ever I leave the mansion. Halve the kids there wondered why Storm kept me around. My grades where steady B's but no one could help me control my curse.

With a sigh I shook my head kicking a rock across the cement. With the approaching storm clouds the whole neighborhood seemed to be holding its breath.

Halve a block latter I was standing in front of St. John's house. It wasn't that it didn't look like it could be condemned because it did...it just seemed more alive then the other houses.

My jaw tightened as I walked up the steps to the front door. I turned the handle and slipped into the inky blackness that instantly swallowed me. The house was deathly silent as I slipped past dropped boards and the tattered remains of the furniture.

I made my way slowly to the basement door. My foot caught on an upturned floorboard and I fell to the ground with a very loud thud.

My teeth gritted as the pain slid threw my body. I pushed myself up and walked to the basement door flinging the door open and shielding my eyes from the sudden, extremely bright, light that greeted my eyes.

Someone jerked my arm behind my back and more pain screamed up my arm.

"Let me go" I growled trying to keep myself from getting ticked.

There was a long silence before he asked: "Tamara?"

"In the flesh" I mummbled, he let go of my arm and took a step back. It wasn't exactly how I had pictured the beginning of are conversation.

"Get out" he hissed, I turned and looked at him shaking my head. I wanted to leave but I wasn't going to until I got him to listen to me for a few minutes.

"I need your help-" I started but he pushed me aside and went down the steps into his basement glaring up at me with his brown eyes.

"Why? Your normal now!" he spat the words at me and it was all I could do to keep myself from throttling him.

"Actually for your information I'm not!" I hissed at him, rage seeping into my senses. Something by my feet exploded but I barely noticed. John didn't look scared as the light above his head shattered.

"Get out" he repeated turning on his heels and walking down the stairs. Slowly I calmed down. _He doesn't care_...I thought slowly stepping backward. I turned sending one last sad look at the stairs that John had gone down.

He's still bitter about what I did...tears welled up in my eyes I hadn't meant to do it but that didn't excuse me. I'd tried to kill him. My other almost useful ability that I had semi control had been used to nearly kill him. I can control peoples dreams, it doesn't sound so bad to have nightmares out of no were but it gets worse...if I manipulate your dream correctly I can actually make you brain dead.

Even then I didn't know why I was trying to kill him. It made no senses. The only time I lost control of that stupid ability is when I fell asleep. But I'd lost control once and given the entire mansion a nightmare that nearly killed several students including Kitty. I'd been an accident but it added a lot to why people avoided me.

I walked down the steps of his house right out into the street. I glanced down at my watch then groaned it was five O'clock, that didn't matter much but Bobby was most likely back...and he would have probably looked for me.

_He's not going to be happy..._I thought grimacing.

I turned and started walking back towards the mansion. I'd walked this street hundreds of times, I could careless who saw me.

"Hey sweetie you lost" the voice was syrupy almost to slurred. He was obviously drunk. I glanced over at him, he had a white stained wife-beater on light blue jeans and hiking boots. He grinned at me "I have a car"

"No thanks I'm fine" I answered automatically, but the guy was persistent.

"You sure?" he asked following me, the next thing I new another guy had joined him except this guy wasn't drunk. I wanted them both to leave me alone, I was in a bad mood as it was.

"Are car is just right around the corner" the sober guy said nudging me slightly with his elbow.

I glanced at my watch then shrugged, _what's the worst that could happen?_ I asked myself and turned towards the sober guy "where's your car?" I asked him with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Common its really close" the two led me to a rather dark alley, I froze looking down the alley, there was a foreboding feeling about tat exact alley.

I took one step into the darkness then instantly regretted it. The sober man suddenly grabbed my arm and bashed me up against the wall, I was about to scream when his hand covered my mouth. He pressed me against the wall so hard I could barely move.

"Stop" I tried to say before being taken by complete rage, the ground around him suddenly started exploding. I wanted to stop it but couldn't. My vision blurred I could feel my body prickling with apprehension.

The sober mans eyes suddenly widened, "oh shit" he exclaimed stumbling backward for a sickening second I new exactly what I was going to do, I wanted to stop myself so bad but it was to late. The mans hand suddenly exploded shower blood all over me, next his leg blew up then he simply disintegrated.

I'd never had my power take me this much. I couldn't even control myself anymore. The next to go was his buddy, but he didn't feel anything he simply exploded. The air around me even seemed to start popping.

"Tamara!" his voice sounded so familiar but it was like a distant dream I couldn't grasp. I flipped around and stared at John for a few seconds, slowly my rage slid away and my power stopped. I fell to my knees gasping for air. Tears came to my eyes then streaked my cheek. _I really am a monster_ I thought before falling forward into blackness.

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Hey! I hope this chapter is pretty good. I'm working on a longer one, but it probably wont get done for a little while. Anyways how are you liking Tamara so fare?

R&R please!


	3. The paper

**A/N: **this has been in the works for quite awhile. But I finally got insperation and just let it out!!!! Also really wanted to start writing about her again...so yeah sorry its taken me soooooo long.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing familiar to you.

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I was staring up the ceiling, my limbs felt like lead attached to my body. I hardly wanted to move but the fact that I was inside and not out in the cold, or in a police station, was enough to spur me into a sitting position.

I instantly recognized were I was. John's home or what he called his home. Once upon a time I used to come here every day, before everything went wrong. Before he abandoned me for something he obviously considered better then me; 'freedom'.

John's home consisted of the bed I was laying on; the wooden stairs were against one of the cement walls with a railing, two cabinets, a refrigerator, two, rather uncomfortable, metal chairs with an ancient wooden table that looked like it had gone threw several world wars, a dresser, a makeshift closet under the stairs, and a TV.

It certainly wasn't impressive, but it worked for him.

John was sitting on one of the metal chairs his eyes focused on me. There was a newspaper next to his elbow, which he casually picked up, he walked over to me and dropped it in my lap.

I instantly knew what he wanted me to look for, the murders. I flew threw the paper in record time dropping the ones I read on the ground until I'd finished and all the paper was spread on the grown; one article clutched in my hands. Two missing men. _Missing not dead_.

I nearly let out a sigh of relief before guilt flooded over me. I felt John looking down at me. He plopped down next to me and let out a sigh his fingers running threw his hair.

"I suppose you can tell me what you came all the way over here to tell me" he gave me a bored look. He hadn't always been like this, cold, foreboding, and rebellious. But that was what time did to people; it changed them even if that meant ripping friends apart, or making them worse.

If this was his way of attempting to be nice then he was failing miserable "Everyone hates me" I could see from the look on his face that he certainly didn't want to hear a sob story.

"Well gee I wonder why!" he exclaimer raising his arms and leaning backward "maybe it's because you almost killed them!" It was like he had just added salt to an open wound.

"It was accident!" I fought back.

"Sure!" he growled "just like trying to kill me was an accident!" it felt like someone had just smacked me, it had been a very bad idea to come over here. But that's not what hurt most: I had gotten my hopes up over the thought that he might actually attempt to understand.

"You hurt me!" it was a lame excuse, but it was the truth, it was exactly why I'd tried to kill him. It was an attempt to let my anger boil out in a different way.

"So you kill me!" he exploded jumping to his feet "that's great you are a monster you know that!" he laughed bitterly, "you should leave before your precious brother gets worried" his snapped word's were much harsher then I'd ever heard them before, the word 'brother' was dripping in sarcasm.

To be considered so low by the a person that I still thought would understand me felt horrible. But so did knowing that he also considered me a monster. He was just like everyone else except he let me know how he felt.

"Your right" I said looking at the ground "I am a monster" I glanced up and for a second I could have sworn I saw a flash of regret in his angry brown eyes.

I stood up looking up at him for a few more seconds "bye John" I mumbled fully knowing that he wouldn't reply. I slid past him purposefully brushing his hand with my fingers, just to see if he reacted. He simply closed his eyes and stepped to the side.

I climbed his stairs, pushed open the door and stumbled threw the junk on the first floor until I reached the front door; nudged it open then stepped out onto the broken cement.

The sun was shining but that didn't help warm the day up, it was already a chilly September morning. I gave one last lingering look at the house before running down the steps and onto the sidewalk.

I was going to be walking for awhile. Which would leave me time to think. Time I didn't want.

But it was inevitable...

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John flopped onto his bed feeling a little guilty. It had been awhile since he'd seen Tamara. She was so pretty with her blonde hair cut short and her sad gray-blue eyes. When they were younger they'd always been together, playing pranks on the older kids or sneaking out to go make trouble in the supermarkets or gas stations.

John closed his eyes recalling the last time the two of them had truly been close, it had been when William Striker attacked the mansion, John and Tamara had been talking in his dorm room planning what they'd do that night, the plan consisted of putting whipped cream on Scott's, Peters, and Bobby's pillows or hands depending on which one they liked better, and recording it.

Of course they never got to do that since the next thing they new was a piercing scream basically blowing out there eardrums. Tamara had gotten away, or at least that's what he'd thought, in truth she'd managed to be one of the eight kids to be taken to Strikers base. He wasn't sure if it really bothered her that she'd nearly been killed there or not, but he was sure that It'd bothered her that he'd completely abandoned her.

He forced his eyes back open banishing the memory. He'd promised himself never to regret his choices just because of _her_. But she had been the only one to understand exactly how it felt to be ignored, and how it felt to be shunned, and he had honestly cared about her.

Hopefully she wouldn't come back. A small part of him wanted for her to come back. But John was not going to allow himself to bend even the slightest bit in his resolution to disconnect himself from her completely.

His eyes slowly closed until he was nearly asleep; when there was a loud crash then complete silence. "She wouldn't have the nerve to do that" he grumbled to himself as he flung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He stomped up his steps to stare at the door completely ripped off its hinges. The last of the setting sunlight showing off a piece of crisp white paper laying on the floor directly in front of the door.

John slowly walked towards the piece of papers scanning his surroundings with each step he took. He bent down and snatched it off the floor turned it over and read:

_Dear John,  
I was recently informed that you knew a girl named Tamara Drake, if you didn't then I would ask you to burn this paper now...but if you did then please continue reading.  
It has come to Eric's attention that this girl could be extremely useful to the Brotherhood; as you know we are reforming. I'm the one that has been assigned the job of recruiting her, with force if it is necessary, in this case Ms. Drake has no choice she can join us or die. I'm sure she will choose the latter of the two choices.  
I trust that you will not attempt to warn her since you still owe Eric your allegiance. Yours Truly - Anonymous._

John's hand was clamped on the paper so tightly that it had actually begun to rip. He dropped it to the ground flipped his lighter up and made the piece of paper turn to ash.

He then stared out the door contemplating what he should do. screw this he growled to himself and ran out his door and down the steps before he even knew what he was doing.

How was he going to find her? Especially if she began to fade; like he was sure she probably was. He opened his mouth to yell for her then stopped. bad idea. Flinging himself down the first street that made sense for her to go down he say nothing but an empty, cracked, road.

_Damn-it! Why did I have to make her sad?_ he berated himself as his feet continued to slam against the ground.

He slowed down looking down three roads when he finally saw her. With a sigh of relief he ran towards her then heard them behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see three people of differing heights running towards her also.

Tamara had her head down, her shoulders hunched.

He glanced over his shoulder again to see the biggest one pick up a rock, run and throw it "Mara duck!" he yelled, to him it felt like sandpaper had suddenly rubbed up against his throat. Tamara looked over her shoulder, of course she didn't duck and was throw to her back by a huge rock.

A scream burst threw the air then several curses. Then the rock simply dissolved. This is not good.

Tamara sat up her hands clutching her head. John finally reached her coming to a skidding halt, his feet slipped and he slammed onto his hip. Scrambling up he brushed her shoulder coming to her level "Stay calm. All right you'll be fine"

She looked up into his eyes and nodded very slowly before forcing herself to stand up and watch as the three anonymous people ran at them "Who are they?" She asked.

"Magneto's new recruits" John answered as he flipped his lighter open and pulled the flame into the palm of his hand. It revolved quickly into a ball of fire.

"What do they-" she stopped realization slipping over her. She went stiff and straightened "Thanks John but I think I'll go with them" John stopped so shocked that he thought his jaw would hit the ground.

For a few seconds he struggled with himself then snorted "I don't think so. You see I never thought you were fit to make these sort of decisions" before she could react he had hit her harshly on the back of her head. Her eyes rolled back and she fell, and she would have fallen to the ground if he had not caught her and gently set her down.

He pushed his sleeves up reforming the ball of fire. He was going to enjoy this.

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Alright I might dedicate the entire next chapter to the fight┘might not. Donno. Do know this though Bobby is gonna be pissed.


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